


Synthesis

by idrilhadhafang



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Kylo Ren and Rey Are Related, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Rey Took Kylo’s Hand, Slow Burn Darkpilot
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-04
Updated: 2020-11-04
Packaged: 2021-03-09 04:48:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,060
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27388972
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/idrilhadhafang/pseuds/idrilhadhafang
Summary: Rey taking Kylo’s hand has very different consequences for everyone affected.
Relationships: Poe Dameron/Ben Solo, Poe Dameron/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren, Poe Dameron/Kylo Ren
Kudos: 2
Collections: The Darkpilot Library





	Synthesis

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Kylo’s supposed to be having a diplomatic meeting. It was Rey’s idea — his newly revealed cousin’s idea, and he’s mostly going along with it because he finally has an alliance with her, a member of his family found, and he’s not about to lose it. 

Unfortunately, it’s going downhill. Fast. 

”...and Poe,” Leia says. “Do you even know —”

“I have a good idea.” (The link with Snoke, vibrating with pain) Then, ”You know, it’s awfully hypocritical of you to defend Poe now when you clearly haven’t given a damn about him,” Kylo says. “Not recently at least.” (The crack of a slap, something he never expected Leia Organa to do) A beat. “I never thought you were the violent type. Or the type to give out prizes for mass murder to Luke Skywalker and Han Solo while condemning Dameron for blowing up a Dreadnaught.”

”That wasn’t mass murder,” Leia says. (She’s clearly delusional, Kylo thinks)

”Oh, well, Luke Skywalker won the Battle of Yavin by jumping in an X-wing and blowing something up...but I guess it’s different when it’s your precious brother and his...hmmm, what’s a good word in Basic for trying to kill your own nephew? At least you both have hypocrisy in common...”

”What?”

”Oh, Snoke said you knew about it,” Kylo says. “That you sent me to Adani to specifically set me up for that night.”

”I most certainly did not,” Leia says. She’s actually starting to start. Kylo has to admit he didn’t expect that. “I...whatever your uncle tried to do that night, I was completely out of the loop for it.”

Somehow, Kylo thinks, she’s telling the truth. 

"And I shouldn’t have slapped Poe Dameron. Both of you...I failed both of you in my own ways.”

In her mind, Kylo can sense how erratic she is. How just killing Han Solo...just that has left her all but a mess. Losing her soldiers too. Just how tired she is. Tired of fighting, of seeing more people die. 

It occurs to him, just now, that this is partially his fault. 

”I failed you too.” It’s the first time he’ll really admit it. “If I can be the opposite of who Snoke was...”

”You’re starting to be just that.”

That statement is more validating than it has any right to be. 

***

”It is you.”

Poe can’t keep the hurt, the accusation, out of his voice in that moment. He can’t help but feel a sort of shattering in his chest, like Kylo’s reached into his chest and set off the faultlines in his heart. 

”I know.” Kylo looks visibly uncomfortable without the mask. Vulnerable. “I didn’t want to hurt you, Poe.”

”You did it anyway,” Poe says. 

”I did,” Kylo says. “I just...Snoke...I tried to hold it off as long as I could. The...interrogation.”

”Just call it what it was, Ben. Torture."

”Right. I’ve tortured before. I got good at it. But you...that was different. I couldn’t hurt you. Even if Snoke wanted me to. So he gave me some...incentive.” A shaky breath. “I had a Force Bond with him. That was how he managed to...torture me himself if I wasn’t being ‘rough’ enough with you."

It’s like a crashing ship has careened right into Poe. “Ben,” he says softly. He doesn’t know what to say. Ben’s done all sorts of horrible things...but he doesn’t deserve this. No one does. And the idea that Ben didn’t want to hurt him...

Hd ought to start shouting at Ben for some of the other stuff too, but Poe is too soft, and he wonders if talking about Han’s murder is pressing too far. 

”I know,” Kylo says. "I don’t know what I’ll do with the First Order. I had my own vision, I had my own ideas. I thought that I could take what I knew was broken and fix it. And Snoke...damn Snoke, but he had all the grace of a bantha in an antiques shop and all the spitefulness of a Hutt crimelord.”

”Understatement,” Poe says.

Hesitantly, he wonders what would happen if he reached out towards Kylo, comforted him. Kylo...there’s something about him that seems very vulnerable, very Ben. 

Very much like the boy Poe knew. 

”So, what now?” Poe says. “Are you going to build Starkiller Base mark two?”

”Hux won’t build another one if I can help it,” Kylo says heatedly, and Poe wonders what he was thinking saying that. Kylo is still Leia’s son; why exactly would he even agree to something like that. 

”Ah. Good. Do you have a plan?”

”I’m thinking of one,” Kylo says. “Calling off First Order forces is a good place to start.” Then, “What’s yours?”

Poe bites his lip. “I just want you to stop...terrorizing the galaxy. Pursuing us. Bombing planets. Stuff like that. I just want the war to end.”

"It won’t be easy. But for you, for my cousin...I’ll try.”

”Cousin? That girl’s your cousin?” How had Kylo somehow found a long lost family member in all this. 

”It’s a long story,” Kylo says. 

Even in spite of himself, Poe almost wants to laugh in shock. 

***

Poe walks out of the meeting room, and he’s already feeling a sort of relief. Relief...something he didn’t think he’d feel after the Finalizer. It shouldn’t feel that way. But honestly, Poe thinks, it does. Because he at least got some degree of closure. He got some degree of peace. 

Finn, on the other hand...he looks hurt, Poe notices. Betrayed. He doesn’t miss the wounded look in Finn’s eyes, the look of feeling like he just wasn’t enough. 

”I just can’t...” Finn takes a deep breath. “I don’t hate her. I can’t. I just...don’t understand why she did it. Like somehow I, Han...everyone didn’t matter to her. Nothing but her family.”

”That’s her problem, not yours,” Poe says. “You matter to us, Finn. To me.”

In a way, Poe thinks, Finn saved him on the Finalizer, in more ways than one. 

”Thank you,” Finn says, softly. 

”No problem,” Poe says. “Just...it’s not your fault. We’ll find a way to work things out.”

It’s in his quarters on Crait that Poe hopes that Finn doesn’t find out about his history with Kylo. Finn’s suffering enough; he doesn’t need that too. 


End file.
